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Cooking Vegetables
Excerpt From Whole Foods & Healing Recipes
What is the value of cooked vegetables? First of all,
there can be great pleasure in sitting down to a hot bowl of soup or a
bowl full of steaming hot carrots, potatoes and corn on the cob.
Secondly, cooked vegetables are an excellent source of soft bulk. The
enzymes are dead, the minerals and vitamins have been compromised
through cooking, but vegetables are filled with fiber and, when cooked,
they become soft, making them excellent in absorbing but reducing the
scouring effect that raw vegetables would have.
Eating some cooked vegetables with a mostly raw diet
will ensure a clean colon. The challenge in cooking vegetables is not to
baptize them in toxic fat. Refer to Better Butters
Remember to chew the vegetables well because 50% of
starch digestion takes place in the mouth.
Steaming Vegetables
A steamer with a built-in timer is
the best way to cook vegetables. Most people when boiling their
vegetables, throw away the best part—the cooking water. Steaming
vegetables conserves the maximum amount of nutrients by subjecting the
vegetables to the least amount of heat. Cut your vegetables into small
pieces for quicker steaming.
45 MINUTES Beets, carrots turnips,
squash and artichokes
25 MINUTES Sweet potatoes, broccoli stalks,
green beans, peas, parsnips, celery
15 MINUTES Garlic and cabbage, sweet peppers,
cauliflower, onions, asparagus
7 MINUTES Mushrooms, broccoli tips, asparagus tips,
zucchini
THE VEGETABLE SOUP POT
The advantage of soup is that nothing is wasted. Vegetable soups are
extremely low in calories and filling, making it a complete meal. They are
inexpensive and easy to make. In fact, some of my most popular soups were
thrown together, using up old vegetables hidden in the back of my fridge.
Fridge Cleanup Soup.
It is awfully hard to go wrong in making vegetable
soup. If you are just a beginner in the kitchen or having that special
someone over for supper, a bowl of savory soup is always a winner.
Find the biggest pot in the house and fill it half full
of fresh cool water. The pot we will be using in the following recipe will
contain 12 cups of water when half full. You can adjust the measurements
to the proportion and size of your pot.
The key to good vegetable soup is timing and broth.
Simulated chicken base is an excellent starting point. Check the
ingredients to make sure that there are no animal fats or preservatives. A
good quality chicken base can usually be purchased in your local health
food store. You may also want to try an all natural vegetable base soup
mix. Garlic, onions and seasonings, soya sauce, bean sauce—all of these
ingredients must first be added to the cold water, allowing the flavor to
mingle before adding the contents of your soup. Before adding vegetables,
taste the soup broth after ten minutes of boiling to make sure that it is
full-bodied and perfectly seasoned to your taste.
If you like your soups thick, add Quinoa or whole oats
that have been powdered in the coffee grinder. These are also excellent
for thickening stews. (Potato juice also is an excellent thickener working
like corn starch.) Once your broth has simmered for 15 minutes add any
dried ingredients such as split peas, legumes or lentils. Go easy on these
ingredients because they are rich, concentrated foods. A small amount is
more than enough. They will also add to the thickening of the soup because
of the starches. Soak beans overnight before adding them to the soup. If
you are not used to eating beans, brings the beans to a boil then throw
away the water. Do not add it to the soup broth or you may find yourself
in an embarrassing situation
Your next step is to add any starchy, dense vegetables,
such as carrots, potatoes, yams, turnip and squash. These vegetables take
longer to cook. Chop up the remainder of the soft vegetables while they
are simmering on the stove. Timing is important so there will be no
over-cooked mushy veggies. Vegetables are added according to their
required cooking time.
Just about now your house is going to be filled with
savory smells that will entice your children into the kitchen asking you, Daddy
is the soup done yet? I’m starving!
About five minutes before you turn off the heat, add
the tomato paste. The longer tomatoes cook the more acidic they become.
After turning off the stove, allow the soup to stand for about an hour.
Then add good tasting yeast for a rich cheesy flavor.
You can also add miso, but never cook this delicate
fermented bean paste. Miso has been fermented for over two years in large
cakes, keeping its enzyme qualities and producing healthy bacteria that
help to clean the colon.
We hope that these soups will give you a starting point
in which you can begin to create your own dishes that will reflect your
character and unique taste. We have left lots of room for creativity. All
of these recipes are flexible but if you find a particular taste that you
want to share with the world, send it in.
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